Wednesday, October 30, 2013

While You Wait: Champion by Marie Lu

The explosive finale to Marie Lu’s New York Times bestselling LEGEND trilogy—perfect for fans of THE HUNGER GAMES and DIVERGENT!

He is a Legend.She is a Prodigy.Who will be Champion?

June
and Day have sacrificed so much for the people of the Republic—and each
other—and now their country is on the brink of a new existence. June is
back in the good graces of the Republic, working within the
government’s elite circles as Princeps Elect while Day has been assigned
a high level military position. But neither could have predicted the
circumstances that will reunite them once again. Just when a peace
treaty is imminent, a plague outbreak causes panic in the Colonies, and
war threatens the Republic’s border cities. This new strain of plague is
deadlier than ever, and June is the only one who knows the key to her
country’s defense. But saving the lives of thousands will mean asking
the one she loves to give up everything he has. With heart-pounding
action and suspense, Marie Lu’s bestselling trilogy draws to a stunning
conclusion.

I have not yet read Legend, the first book in this trilogy, but I know many people who've loved it and are eager to see how the series wraps up. Since romance is an important component of this series, I thought I'd recommend other dystopian novels where love or sexuality are major themes.

I think this one's been mostly forgotten about since it came out a few years ago. It's the story of a world where at sixteen, girls can supposedly have sex without repercussions or danger. This take on the genre sounds a little more out there than Legend, and would be a good pick for someone who wants more dystopian, but wants it to be different.

A tale of two teens who are opposites trying to survive in a literally wild world. While I personally haven't read this one, it's very much beloved.

For Anya, love isn't the trouble. It's her dead ex-boyfriend. In a world where coffee and chocolate are banned, Anya's crime boss father orchestrates the family business of manufacturing illegal chocolate. When Anya's ex dies because of poisoned chocolate, she becomes a suspect. This one sounds like a YA version of The Godfather with dysotpian elements and food descriptions. Count me in.

Oliver's books are set in a world where love has literally been banished. This is an emotional story--particularly the ending.

In DeSetfano's world, inspired by The Handmaid's Tale, females die at 20 and males die at 25. When Rhine gets taken away to be one of many wives to a rich mine, she has to see if there's anything she can do to stop the illness. DeStefano's book takes an interesting look at love, sexuality, reproduction, and illness, and is beautifully written.

In The Knife of Never Letting Go by Patrick Ness, men are the only sex Todd lives among. He had a mother once, but she's long gone. At the beginning of the book he's forced to leave his community, and immediately encounters the unknown: a girl his age. While some people push this one as more science fiction, it definitely has a lot of dystopian elements, and the action will appeal to readers who loved the action in Legend.

In Condie's world, you don't have to worry about what books to read, what to eat, or even who to marry: the society decides for you. This story will appeal to readers who want a story about characters falling in love and questioning the world around them.

This one features main character Juliette and love interest Adam who meet in an unlikely place: prison! Based on the reviews, I've heard this one has a love triangle element, so if you enjoy a good love triangle, check out Mafi's books.

Given how many dystopian books have been released in recent years, I could go on all day, and probably all night as well, but I don't want to overwhelm everyone. What other titles would you add to my list?